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Going from numbers to gnocchi

Red Fedele has always been a numbers guy. He spent 16 years at Xerox Corp. in the finance department, making sure the numbers made sense. So what did he know about running a restaurant?

Apparently, a lot.

Red Fedele's Brook House, 920 Elmridge Center Drive, has been serving Italian fare in Greece since 1976. After Fedele retired from Xerox, he decided he wanted to try something different, even though he had no experience running a restaurant. At the time he had a half-dozen kids, a little money from profit sharing at Xerox — and a dream.

"A lot of people say they want to try doing things on their own, but they never do it," said Fedele, of Greece. "I wanted to try my hand at something new, and it has worked well for me and my family for the past 37 years."

The family who works there include all seven of his children: William Fedele, Anthony Fedele, Lisa Ayotte, Christina Fedele King, Sam Fedele, Raelynn Fedele Muellner and Michael Fedele. They produced 17 grandchildren, some of whom work there as well.

He knew being an independent businessman wasn't going to be easy, but he believed in his vision.

"I just felt if you have a good menu and create a good customer base, then good things will happen," said Fedele. "Yes, it is long hours and a lot of work, but if you have patience to make it through the hard times and bounce back, then it will be rewarding."

Specialties of the house include family recipes from Angelina Fedele, Red's mother, that are at the heart of the family-centered menus. It also includes Fedele's homemade gnocchi.

Red's is known for several dishes including his Shrimp Fra Diavolo, Pan Seared Scallops, Veal French, Veal Parmagiana and Veal a la Fedele.

The Brook House also offers an extensive selection of New York, California and imported wines as well as domestic and imported beers.

They've made sure to also move with the times. They now offer gluten-free and low-fat options as well as adding seafood throughout the year. The family keeps the restaurant lively with a landscape patio complete with shrubs, flowers and a waterfall pond.

To this day, Red Fedele greets guests when they walk in. He also often makes special stops around tables to encourage patrons to try a chef's new dish or to warmly chat with people as they dine.

"We have quite a history here to be proud of," said Fedele. "We are not perfect like any business, but we make sure our customers are the number one priority."